Thin Gluten Free Gingersnaps or Spiced Wafers Recipe

I’ll freely admit that I have a gingersnap problem. The problem being that I can’t have gingersnaps around or I will eat them. All of them. So why create yet another gluten free gingersnaps recipe?, you might ask.

Well, that’s because I come by my passion for gingersnaps honestly, and the rest of my family wants me to make them, too.

Thus when a reader pointed me to a different version of gingersnaps that she loved to make with my gfJules Flour, I was not surprisingly intrigued. These gingersnaps are called “Ivin’s Famous Spice Wafers”, and they’re described as a more complex cookie than a traditional gingersnap, boasting plenty of all the spices I (and my entire family, apparently) love in the fall: cinnamon; allspice; nutmeg; ginger; cloves …. 

The reader said she missed this Philadelphia favorite after going gluten free, but had found a copycat glutenous recipe in which she used my gfJules Flour with great results.

I didn’t try the recipe for awhile because I was trying to exercise restraint. Turns out my cautionary approach was prescient, as I’ve now made it 5 times (in one week), tweaking the recipe via super high-tech family-wide taste-testing. (Hence the reason all these cookies look a bit different — vegan/not; blackstrap molasses/ordinary molasses; refrigerated dough/not; different baking rack positions … etc.)

For the prettiest, most spice wafer-looking cookies, use the egg rather than applesauce option if you can. We preferred ordinary molasses for flavor, but blackstrap molasses is yummy too. I added and modified the spices to suit our tastes, but obviously feel free to adjust to suit yours.

For all my fellow gingersnap lovers, I’m thrilled to be able to give you yet another gluten free option!

If you’ve tried my gfJules Gluten Free Graham Cracker & Gingernsap Mix, you know that it makes great gluten free graham crackers or crunchy gingersnaps. And if you’ve tried my other gluten free gingernsap recipe, you know that it makes soft and chewy gingersnaps.

So this new recipe for thin gluten free gingersnaps (or “Thingersnaps” as my husband has called them!) fills the void in between: they can be soft or crunchier, but they’re thin and just perfect for snacking. They’re also a yummy stand-in for graham crackers in fall s’mores! 

If you’re making them vegan or prefer a softer cookie, choose applesauce instead of the egg ingredient. If you like them extra crunchy, cook on a rack farther away from the heating element so they don’t burn, and bake for at least 13 minutes, checking to be sure they’re not getting too brown every minute or so after.

If you are refrigerating the dough before baking, flatten the cookie dough balls a bit before baking to encourage the cold dough to spread.

When you make this recipe, I’d love to hear your take on it! Is it the ultimate gingersnap? Do you like it soft or crispy? Will this recipe make it into your autumn baking rotation?

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Thin Gluten Free Gingersnaps

Yield: around 30 cookies, depending on size

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

These thin gluten free gingersnaps meet every need for cinnamon-spicy and sweet in a thin, crispy around the edges, soft in the middle cookie!

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Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons (3 oz) butter or vegan alternative
• 5 Tablespoons coconut oil (room temperature) OR vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
• 1 large egg or 1/4 cup natural applesauce
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups (270 grams) gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• extra brown sugar for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream butter, coconut oil/shortening and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until lighter and fluffy.

Add egg or applesauce and molasses, beating until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients, then slowly stir into butter/sugar bowl. The dough will be taffee-like but not tight or dry.

Scoop out by measured tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet leaving 2 inches between dough balls for spread.

Bake for 13 minutes or longer for crunchier cookies.

Recommended Products

I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases; this amount goes to fund this blog and does not cost you anything additional.

• 
  Grandma's Original Molasses All Natural, Unsulphured - 12oz
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  Big Tree Farms Organic Brown Coconut Sugar, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Low Glycemic, Unrefined and Fair Trade, Natural Sweetener, 2 Pound (Packaging May Vary)
• 
  Soy Free Buttery Sticks
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  PaperChef Culinary Parchment Multipurpose Non-Stick Paper, 205 sq ft
• 
  gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

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